Air is crisp and clear with
The strong smell of 
Chimneys exercising after
Long vacations, drying leaves,
Ozone always threatening 
Snow in the distance.

The winding sheet lays rolled,
Ready to be unraveled
For the first snappy frost. 
Progress seems to slow and even gravity
Defers as leaves float.

Yet activity abounds: children 
Going to school, squirrels collecting nuts,
The hustle of holidays fast approaching.
Nature prepares to shutdown
And we hasten to celebrate it.

There is the merest gauze over everything,
One that will grow thicker and cottony
As winter approaches. But for now this dressing 
Melts with the high sun and summer can be
Remembered, if only for a few hours.